The personal blog of Peter Lee a.k.a. "China Hand"... Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel, and an open book to those who read. You are welcome to contact China Matters at the address chinamatters --a-- prlee.org or follow me on twitter @chinahand.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Is the nine dash line dead?

In the context of the PRC charm offensive at ASEAN (leavened by a sharp slap at Philippine's President Aquino), the Beijing Review has published a detailed explanation of "core interests" that also provides some pretty significant looking and novel interpretations of China's South China Sea claims.

In the article, dated August 26, China's declaration of key interests misinterpreted, the anonymous author rehashes the evolution of the "core interest" concept since 2005, including "territorial sovereignty" as a bedrock value that cannot be compromised and must be defended by any and all means including armed force if necessary.

But then...

However, some media, think tanks and
military officers have misinterpreted China's announcement of its core
interests as a regional policy shift and an external show of strength.
Their inaccurate portrayals have undoubtedly influenced Washington's
China policy.

In July 2010, the Japanese and U.S. media quoted an anonymous American expert as saying that China has included the South
China Sea in the country's core national interests, adding that the
United States, Japan and India should join hands to contend against
China on the issue.

However, no internal or public Chinese
document or declaration at the time made claim to the entirety of the
South China Sea—it has merely asserted its sovereignty over certain
islands and islets in South China Sea, and stated that it will engage in
negotiations and dialogues when disputes arise. China is committed to
the Declaration on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea and
respects and will maintain the freedom of navigation on the sea.

...

The false rumors have spread from the
United States, Japan and some Southeast Asian countries that China has
laid claim to the entirety of the South China Sea and will commit to an
area denial strategy in the region. It is believed that these
inaccuracies aim to escalate maritime disputes between China and its
neighboring countries around the South China Sea, creating tensions that
intend to justify the U.S. "pivot to Asia."

If this position holds, it seems the PRC is shifting away from the anachronistic nine dash line to a more UNCLOS-friendly restatement of its South China Sea claims as stemming from its sovereignty over specific above water features.

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